Atheras Analytics, a global leader in predicting and managing the effects of atmospheric/weather impairments on Ka-band and Q/V-band satellite links, has announced its successful award of a co-funded ARTES development contract, for its TEMPESTAS project. The project will be carried out under ESA’s Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES) Core Competitiveness program with the support of UK Space Agency (UKSA) and SES, a provider of global satellite connectivity solutions.
This 18-month project will enable Atheras Analytics to enhance the accuracy of its Ka-band and Q/V-band link outage predictions through the use of satellite weather imagery and low-cost rain-radar installed at gateway locations worldwide. SES will support the development by providing Ka-band link propagation data and hosting the rain-radar at its teleport sites where possible.
“With the support of ESA’s ARTES program, we will be able to further improve our ability to accurately predict weather related outages for multi-gateway Ka-band and Q/V-band satellite networks,” said John Yates, managing director, Atheras Analytics, commented. “This is a vital requirement because these networks have become essential to deliver high throughput satellite (HTS) and Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS) services globally.”
Constantin Siriteanu, TEMPESTAS technical officer at ESA added, “The ARTES Core Competitiveness Programme is designed to help industry develop innovative product or service ready for the commercial market. With ESA’s support, Atheras Analytics will be able to further improve the efficacy of its product and service, to bring benefit to the satellite industry.”
Joel Grotz, senior manager of technology development, SES, added, “The development of reliable near-term weather predictions for gateways for the operation of Ka-band as well as Q/V-band links in the context of high system availability and high throughput requirements is of great relevance for the industry. We welcome this ESA-supported initiative and are happy to take part in developing measures that enable enhanced accuracy of the results.”
As the satellite industry moves towards the use of higher capacity satellites operating in higher frequency bands, there is an increasing need to effectively plan and manage the large number of gateway networks required to support these services, in particular the management and mitigation of weather-related events. The ESA ARTES program will enable Atheras Analytics to further enhance and refine its technology enabling satellite operators to effectively manage these complex multi gateway networks.
Vietnam Airlines announced its intention to purchase 50 narrow-body Boeing 737-8s in a multi-billion-dollar deal. The announcement coincides with U. S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Vietnam for key talks on trade and closer diplomatic relations.
“In line with Vietnam Airlines’ 2025-2030 fleet strategy and vision for 2035, aircraft investment is a crucial strategy that underpins the momentum of the airline’s recovery and supports a prosperous outlook,” Dang Ngoc Hoa, chairman of the board of directors of Vietnam Airlines said. “The new narrow-body fleet will allow us to expand our high-quality services on Vietnam Airlines’ domestic and Asian routes, as well as further modernizing our fuel-efficient fleet.”
“Southeast Asia is one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, and the 737 MAX is the perfect airplane for Vietnam Airlines to efficiently meet regional demand,” said Brad McMullen, senior vice president Boeing Commercial sales and marketing. “We value our historic partnership with Vietnam Airlines, dating back to 1995 when the airline first leased 767s.”
U.S. and Vietnam officials said the announcement will bolster jobs in both countries and strengthen the bilateral economic partnership. Building on Boeing’s long history of collaboration with Vietnam’s civil aviation industry, the carrier’s 737 MAX fleet will support the country’s goal of becoming a leading aviation hub.
Growing demand for single-aisle aircraft has driven Vietnam Airlines to acquire an additional 60 aircrafts by 2030 and about 100 aircrafts by 2035, including the Boeing 737 MAX, which has between 150 and 230 seats. Over 1,150 aircrafts from the Boeing MAX family are used by 70 airlines worldwide. Vietnam Airlines boasts a fleet of 100 aircrafts, including 65 narrow-body aircrafts, serving 97 routes to 21 domestic and 29 international destinations, connecting Vietnam and the rest of the world.
Swedish electric airplane maker Heart Aerospace and Honeywell have announced a collaboration to integrate Honeywell’s next-generation flight control system into the new ES-30 regional electric airplane.
Honeywell was selected by Heart Aerospace for the Joint Definition Phase of Heart’s ES-30 airplane, and the goal, once the phase has been completed successfully, is to fully integrate Honeywell’s compact Fly-by-Wire system into development for production.
“We are thrilled to welcome Honeywell to the ES-30 program. With its long track record in flight controls, they are an ideal collaboration partner for Heart Aerospace as we strive to decarbonize air travel before the end of this decade,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace.
Honeywell’s next-generation compact Fly-by-Wire system is in an advanced stage of development on multiple aircraft, and its functions are adaptable to the ES-30, allowing Heart to bring its airplane to market quickly and cost-effectively.
“Honeywell’s flight controls provide the ideal solution for Heart’s mission to revitalize and electrify the regional transport market,” said Vipul Gupta, president, electronic solutions, Honeywell Aerospace. “Honeywell’s all-electric compact Fly-by-Wire is a ready-now solution based on decades of flight control experience in all aircraft types, and that reduces development time and risk for Heart.”
The ES-30 is a regional electric airplane with a 30-passenger standard seating capacity and is driven by electric motors powered by batteries. It will have a fully electric zero-emissions range of 200 kilometers, an extended hybrid range of 400 kilometers with 30 passengers, and flexibility to fly up to 800 kilometers with 25 passengers, all with typical airline reserves.
Heart Aerospace has 250 firm orders for the ES-30, with options and purchase rights for an additional 120 planes.
BotFactory announced it has been selected by AFWERX for an SBIR Phase II in the amount of $1.25 million focused on Ultra-Fast Additive Manufacturing of Electronics with Correction and Validation to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on July 25th, 2023, BotFactory will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
“This SBIR Phase II award from AFWERX represents a significant milestone for BotFactory Inc. It not only validates our leadership in Additive manufacturing of Electronics but also entrusts us with a vital role in enhancing the technological capabilities of the Department of the Air Force. We are committed to delivering innovative solutions that will strengthen the national defense infrastructure and look forward to a successful collaboration,” said Carlos Ospina, CEO, BotFactory.
Impulse Space, Inc. – a developer of in-space transportation services for the inner solar system – announced it has secured $45 million in its Series A funding round. The round is led by RTX Ventures, the venture capital arm of RTX.
“With the support from RTX Ventures, Impulse Space continues on the path toward its mission to provide agile, economic logistics services in any orbit,” says Impulse Space Founder and CEO Tom Mueller. “It speaks volumes that a leading investment firm is confident in the future of Impulse Space and its trailblazing technology.”
With an oversubscribed funding round, Impulse Space will be continuing its progress with its work in upcoming missions, such as LEO Express-1, a GEO refueling mission and the upcoming mission to Mars. Specifically, this funding will support the development of Impulse’s largest vehicle yet, called Helios. The Helios kick stage enables direct to Geostationary Equatorial Orbit missions, thus bypassing the need for a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
“RTX Ventures invests in companies that we believe provide breakthrough technologies that disrupt aerospace, defense and commercial aviation sectors,” says President and Managing Director Daniel Ateya at RTX Ventures. “Our investment will help Impulse Space accelerate their growth and fuel innovation within the space economy.”
The Series A funding round also included other participant investors, such as Founders Fund, Lux Capital, Airbus Ventures and Space Capital.
You must be logged in to post a comment.